NSW to ditch coal power by 2040

THE final NSW coal power plant will be shut by 2040 after the decision by Energyaustralia to bring forward the closure date of its Mt Piper facility by at least two years in a bid to hit new green climate targets.

The power giant was due to run Mt Piper until 2042 but will accelerate its retirement after vowing to be out of coal by 2040, although the company is yet to provide a new final date for its closure.

“One of the pivotal changes to Energyaustralia’s climate statement is a commitment to develop a plan for how we transition out of coal,” Energyaustralia’s new chief executive Mark Collette said.

“This means an earlier retirement date for Mt Piper power station in NSW.

“The energy transition has significant impacts for our power station workers and our local communities.

“While Mt Piper’s ultimate retirement date will be determined by several factors, we are committed to long-term planning and supporting the transition for our workers and our local communities.”

The Mt Piper plant is in the central west region of NSW, about 25km from Lithgow.

AGL Energy’s Liddell plant will exit in the 2022-23 summer while Trevor St Baker’s Vales Point coal plant and Origin’s Eraring station in the state are due to start closing units from 2029.

Coal facilities are increasingly having to switch off during daytime hours when high solar supplies undercut them on price.

A slew of more modern plants are scheduled to run well beyond 2030 including AGL’S Bayswater to 2035 and Energyaustralia’s Mt Piper.

Energyaustralia earlier this year brought forward the closure date of its Yallourn plant in Victoria by four years to 2028, after a secret deal was hatched with the Victorian government to subsidise its operation.

NSW Energy Minister Matt Kean has repeatedly warned the state’s coal plants will exit early as the fossil fuel struggles to compete with cheap renewables during daytime hours.

Energyaustralia plans to reach net zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050.